For most of the year, we’ve been treated to reports here and there about how Russell Crowe is totally chubbing out – and not in the good way. I think the reports started when Sienna Miller abruptly pulled out of/was fired from Nottingham, which was filming earlier this year. Sienna left a trail of bitchy criticisms in her wake – namely that Russell was too fat and old, and that it would gross and ridiculous for someone as young, thin and gorgeous as Sienna to play his love interest. In case you think I’m giving Sienna a hard time for no reason – the initial reports came out in January, and by April, Sienna was still saying the same crap about how she was too young and gorgeous.

Here’s the thing – the pictures of Russell from the beginning of the year do show a pretty chubby guy, but Russell seemed to lose some weight and he was back to looking pretty hot in the still released from Nottingham. But some people weren’t placated – namely, an Australian gossip columnist who saw recent pictures of Russell pigging out and smoking. The columnist called the piece “Smokes and fatty foods the fitness regime for Rusty.” Oh, noes! So Russell responded with a challenge… a 12-mile bike ride/duel. Russell is quoted as asking the columnist, “Are you ready to die?” Damn.

An Australian newspaper mocked Russell Crowe for smoking and shoveling down a fatty meal during a recent bike ride, so the notoriously salty actor set out to prove he is still in gladiator shape – by challenging the paper’s gossip columnist to a duel by bicycle.

Crowe, who has been photographed looking slimmer in recent months, was apparently none too pleased by a column published in Sydney’s The Daily Telegraph on Tuesday entitled “Smokes and fatty foods the fitness regime for Rusty.” The paper mocked Crowe after he was photographed pausing during a recent bike ride with his personal trainer to puff on a cigarette and chow down on three tacos and a soft drink.

In a story published Friday, the paper said Crowe’s spokesman called up gossip columnist Annette Sharp the next day and said, “Get on your bike. Russell wants you to go riding with him. Are you ready to die?”

Sharp accepted the challenge and the pair met a dawn for a 12-mile (20-kilometer) ride through the city. Video of the race shows Sharp struggling to keep up while Crowe zooms along unfazed. At one point, Sharp fell off her bike.

Still, Crowe gave Sharp some credit, telling her she was a better biker than Australian director Baz Luhrmann. “You’re twice the man Baz is,” he said.

Crowe’s manager Grant Vandenberg had no comment. “I think everything’s been said in the paper,” he said.

[From the Huffington Post]

Well, that ended well. It’s always nice to hear that a gossip columnist fell off her bike. If it had been me, I would have passed out as soon as I saw Russell. I don’t really care how chubby the guy is, he still does it for me. It’s also nice to see Russell maturing – if the gossip columnist had said this ten years ago, I think Russell would have probably bashed her head in with a beer bottle. Well done, Russell!

Update: Here’s a link to the article and video of Russell and the gossip columnist’s biking challenge.